Sundowns, Wydad squeeze into African Football League final

JOHANNESBURG - Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco reached the inaugural African Football League final after gripping semi-final second legs on Wednesday.

Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved a penalty and Egyptian side Al Ahly struck the woodwork in a 0-0 draw in Cairo that gave the club from Pretoria a 1-0 aggregate victory.

Record 11-time Champions League titleholders Ahly were given an early scoring chance when Williams fouled former Sundowns star Percy Tau and the referee pointed to the spot.

After a lengthy delay while Sundowns protested the decision, veteran Tunisian Ali Maaloul saw his low kick pushed away by the South African international shot-stopper.

Williams was struggling with crosses, though, and when he dropped one, Mahmoud Kahraba almost netted for the Cairo Red Devils.

Tau was unlucky when his fierce close-range shot rattled the crossbar, and the South African side were grateful to still be ahead on aggregate at the break.

Sundowns performed better in the second half only to put themselves under pressure in the final six minutes of regular time when substitute Junior Mendieta was shown a straight red card.

The Argentine had been on the pitch just a few minutes when he was guilty of a studs-up tackle that caught Akram Tawfik just below the knee.

Heated Ahly claims for an added-time penalty, when the handball offence was committed just outside the box, were waved away by the outstanding Senegalese referee after a VAR check.